The use of memory is an important aspect of almost any electronic device. There are different types of memory. For example, volatile memory is a type of memory which will retain values stored in the memory only when power is applied to the memory. When power is removed, the data stored in the memory will be lost over some period of time. In contrast, non-volatile memory is a type of memory whose data is not affected when power is removed.
Different types of memory elements may have different properties. For example, memory elements may have different access times, power consumption, immunity to the effects of radiation, etc. Accordingly, memories can be selected not only based upon a desired operation of the memory, but operational qualities of a memory.
Depending upon the functionality or operational qualities of the memory, a memory may be included on an integrated circuit device, or implemented separate from the integrated circuit device and accessed by the integrated circuit device. Providing a memory separate from an integrated circuit device may affect the operation of the overall circuit implementing the memory. Accordingly, there are various considerations when selecting both the type of memory and the locations of memory when implementing memory associated with an integrated circuit device.